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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832315">Day 1: Party</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louis_the_Snake/pseuds/Louis_the_Snake'>Louis_the_Snake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>25 Days of Christmas on DS9 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas Decorations, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, M/M, the Feregi adopted Christmas, this is very stupid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:54:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,401</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louis_the_Snake/pseuds/Louis_the_Snake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Odo gets roped into showing up at Quark's Christmas party.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Odo/Quark (Star Trek)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>25 Days of Christmas on DS9 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Day 1: Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Christmas wasn’t celebrated by most races, or even by most humans, but the Ferengi had adopted it with glee. The consumerist fervor, the cult-like need to acquire, had appealed to the stout race in the same way it had appealed to late 20th century consumer cultures. </p><p> Nothing happened on Deep Space Nine without Odo writing a report on the incident.<br/>
The “Black Friday” auction Quark held for a large cohort of Ferengi had been an utter disaster. He’d recommended Sisko prevent Quark from celebrating too many Ferengi holidays, only to be informed that Christmas was a holiday from a human religion.<br/>
In fact, it had been covered in Ms.O’Brian’s class not much later, along with several holidays races had held during the colder periods on their planets, along with several human traditions, Bajoran festivals, a few Vulcan rituals, a Cardassian rest day, Klingon feasts, and a Romulan festival. </p><p> Odo was not optimistic for the “Christmas Party” Quark was planning.<br/>
A few of the humans were completely on board, with a mix of historical curiosity, desire for levity, and evident nostalgia for the holiday from their own childhoods in the odd case or two. Kira was curious how it might turn out, and had no opposition on the grounds of the station being Bajoran. Religious freedom was very important to the Federation, and cultural exchange on the station was beneficial to all parties.<br/>
Sisko had no objections, though he requested a tighter security network and assigned crew for the holiday weekend long in advance. Jadiza was more than excited for a large party, and assisted with decorations. Garak was making a tidy sum on his christmas-themed attires, the klingon chef had taken to the idea of roasting a fresh Tarq whole, and Odo was left, as Bashir put it, the ‘Grinch’, some fantastical figure from a children’s story. </p><p>“Odo, I want you to assist Quark with his party. I trust you to ensure that the evening is safe.” Sisko rolled his baseball between his fingers as he often did, leaning back in his chair.<br/>
“You can’t be serious, Commander.”<br/>
“I am. You’re the only one I trust to keep Quark under wraps.”<br/>
“If you insist.” Odo turned on his heel.<br/>
It was time to confront the little thorn in his side. </p><p> Moments passed from leaving Sisko’s office to assisting Rom with a garland on the spiral stairs of Quark’s. Rom had nearly fallen from the outside of the banister, which had seemed the least efficient way to decorate. Quark had insisted on it. Odo helped Rom quickly, able to cling to the outside with little difficulty.<br/>
He finally cornered Quark in the storeroom.<br/>
“What do you have planned for this ‘Christmas’ event?”<br/>
“I don’t see what you have to do with the information.”<br/>
“I’ve been ordered to oversee security for the event.”<br/>
“Well, we could certainly do with an extra deputy or two on the promenade in case anyone gets a little too drunk or rowdy or both.” Quark smiled in a way that was meant to be charming.<br/>
“Of course. I already have officers lined up for that shift. Anything else?”<br/>
“We could certainly do with our favorite constable making an appearance!”<br/>
Odo scoffed.<br/>
“Come on, you know you want to experience a little christmas cheer. Not even you can be grumpy the entire year.”<br/>
“I’m not grumpy.”<br/>
“How come you’re always frowning?”<br/>
“I’m not happy, either.”<br/>
“Just show up. I’ll pour you some eggnog, you can pretend to drink it, sing a song or something, and then you can go back to being grumpy. I’ll get you a gift if you get me one.”<br/>
“You, offering to get me a gift? Even with the stipulation of exchange, that seems wrong.”<br/>
“It’s the point of it all. You buy people gifts so they have to buy you gifts. You show off how much you have to spend and to keep by getting people frivolous things they don’t even want and hope they buy you things you can sell or add to your collections.”<br/>
“It seems entirely pointless.”<br/>
“Of course you don’t get it.” Quark flapped his hands.<br/>
“I will make an attempt.” </p><p> So Odo made an attempt. He bought clothes he could’ve just morphed from Garak. (An ‘Ugly Sweater’ seemed appropriate, though it was just a dark red sweater with an upside-down fir tree on the front) He researched Quark’s collections and bought him a gift. He bought Kira a new chain for her earring where it had been burnt in the last station malfunction. He found and uploaded a replicator pattern for a sturdy metal bat for Sisko’s ballgame. He helped Dax decorate Quark’s and even some of the promenade.<br/>
None of his attempts felt particularly meaningful until he spoke to Doctor Bashir.<br/>
“Doctor, I’m afraid I don’t see the point in this festival, it seems even less useful than the Bajoran festivals we see now and then.”<br/>
“Well, it’s not about utility, Odo, it’s. Well, it’s a little like decoration, but for time.”<br/>
“Decoration makes a room more pleasant to be in.”<br/>
“And celebration, for the sake of celebration makes life more pleasant to live, even if it gets in the way sometimes. Like, the garlands make it harder to hold onto the handrail, but they do make the promenade look a little softer.”<br/>
“The garlands do pose a minor safety risk, don’t they? I was worried about that.”<br/>
“Not enough of a risk to remove them, Odo, they’re fine for a short period. It’s just decorating, spending time with people you like, listening to music, showing you care for people by finding them items you think they might like. It’s a social behavior, it’s just something us solid humanoids enjoy.”<br/>
“Might I be correct in assuming I might never understand, much like getting drunk?”<br/>
“Maybe.” </p><p> By the time the party was beginning, though, Odo had warmed up to the idea of spending time with everyone. It was a bit of a disaster, but it seemed most partygoers were happy to sing an odd mix of songs from at least five planets and eat high-carb meals.<br/>
“Odo! You made it!”<br/>
“Of course. I had to give you your gift and make an appearance.”<br/>
“Here, hold this, stand by that tree there. Smile!” Quark shoved a mug into his hand and pushed him to the tree and snapped a photo, “Rom, get these printed. What’d you get me?”<br/>
Quark bounced. He was dressed more like an elf than the pictures Odo had seen of Santa, but it was clear he was meant to be the Saint.<br/>
“Open the box.” Odo held the box forward for him.<br/>
The tiny Ferengi tore into the wrapping like a feral animal, tossing the shredded strips of color over his shoulders. He opened the box to find a bottle of something that glowed a gentle pink.<br/>
“Ok. What is it?”<br/>
“You like rare items, and you like alcohol, correct?”<br/>
“Yeah, that’s not wrong.”<br/>
“The bottle itself is nothing special, just something I replicated. The liquid is ale I made myself. I swallowed fruit, sugar, certain microbes, and so on, and I converted them into alcohol. The hardest part was the enzymes, really, I had to research fungal cells and-”<br/>
“So, it’s a unique alcohol produced by the only known changeling. And I own every drop ever made?”<br/>
“Correct.”<br/>
Quark’s eyes lit up as he calculated the profit he could make by selling vials of the fluid, but then the light softened as he decided it was more interesting to keep the unique item as a conversation piece. It would be for sale, of course, for the price of a small moon. Tip-top shelf item. No, of course none of it had to do with Odo himself.<br/>
“Incredible. Here, your gift.” He pulled out a small box and handed it to Odo.<br/>
Odo opened it. It was shiny, but he had no idea what it could be until Quark spoke up.<br/>
“They’re decorations for the outside of your bucket. They’ll just rest on the metal around the rim. It’s latinum, not pure, of course, but a good percentage.”<br/>
“Decorations.”<br/>
“You don’t ever seem to need anything but that bucket, and you did once show interest in a nicer bucket, but I didn’t know exactly what might make a bucket more comfortable or whatever so how about prettier?”<br/>
“Hmm.” Odo inspected his gift.<br/>
“Don’t mention it.”</p>
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